Mobile phone cases have very quickly blossomed into a multi-billion dollar industry. With each new entry into the field, phone cases become lighter, stronger, more colorful, and even more securable. Many phone case designers and manufacturers have focused on the primary purpose of a phone case—i.e., to protect the phone within—sacrificing aesthetics in some instances. In fact, the protective phone case has become such a necessary component of the phone itself, case manufacturers are often given new phone details well-ahead of the general public so that such cases are available as soon as a new phone reaches store shelves.
However, other than some minor aesthetic differences, phone case providers have been unable to point to any meaningful improvements or advantages they provide over cases made by other manufacturers. As a result, purchases of phone cases are typically made based on aesthetic appeal alone. Further, because the aesthetic quality is such an important factor, it is not uncommon for some users to have more than one phone case for much the same reason that they might have more than one pair of shoes.
But purchasing two, three or even more protective cases for any portable electronic device is cost prohibitive for many. Also, even where cost may not be an issue, the bulkiness of having several unused device cases can be a problem. As fads and fashion change, or as people change, the desire for another different protective case may be created. The solution to these problems has been missed by prior case designers and manufacturers.
Further, while battery life is improving on many electronic devices, use of such devices is also seemingly on the rise. Despite even the best efforts to keep a device's battery charged, many users run into the problem of a low battery. In some devices (e.g., Apple's iPhone line), carrying spare batteries is not an option, as the battery is sealed within the device. This fact raises the need for vigilance in maintaining a charged battery. However, providing security in this area has never been a focus of protective cases.
Until the invention of the present application, many case manufacturers have stayed with adding new designs and new features by creating an entirely new case. The present invention solves these and other problems which went either unnoticed, ignored or unsolved by those skilled in the art. The present invention provides a case design which is capable of being changed repeatedly by a user without sacrificing portability, functionality or affordability.